Be prepared now for a Summer Invasion of Slugs

Slugs must be at the top of the list of garden pests, they happily munch their way through our treasured crops often eating as much as we do, annoyingly leaving behind their calling card – a tell tale silver trail.

Last year we had a very wet April and May (which is when slugs breed) this resulted in a large increase in their population and although we had a cold spring this year many will have survived due to their large numbers, if they all breed successfully there could be a slug explosion in June and July.

There are many environmentally friendly ways to control slugs in the garden:

1  Place a slug deterrent such as Slug Gone around your plants, composed of sheep’s wool, sand, grit and potassium salts it acts as a barrier which irritates the slugs foot and absorbs its slime. Slug Gone wool pellets can be used anywhere in the garden, they are natural, organic and safe to children, pets and wildlife, the pellets hold twice their own weight in water and will act as an excellent mulch, weed suppressant, soil conditioner and slow release fertiliser too.

2  Install Copper Tapes around the outside of Pots, Troughs, Raised Beds or the legs of Mangers/Growing Tables the tiny electrical charge they give out will send the slugs away.

3  Apply Nemaslug, which is a biological control, every 6 weeks to the soil by simply watering it in, it contains millions of microscopic slug hunting worms called nematodes which invade and kill the slugs.

4  Build a pond in your garden; it will soon become a home to frogs, toads and newts whose favourite food are slugs, as well as benefiting and encouraging masses of wildlife.

5  Create permanent log piles in your garden to encourage Ground Beetles they can eat a surprising number of slugs for their size, the logs provide a summer nesting site and a perfect place to overwinter.

6  Attract birds to your garden by providing bird feeders, bird food, and a bird bath, Thrushes especially love slugs.

7  Encourage Hedgehogs to your garden by putting out hedgehog food (don’t overfeed them as they will stop foraging for the slugs), clean water and a place to nest or hibernate such as a Hogitat or a Hogilo they love a tasty snack of slugs.

8  Mulch the garden with bark chips, well rotted compost or manure all of which are inedible to slugs.

9  Patrol the garden when it has gone dark with a torch collecting them in a bag/bucket and disposing of them as you think fit!

I would not recommend using harmful slug pellets that contain metaldehyde, although they kill the slugs they will also kill their natural predators (insects, birds, mammals, amphibians) who unwittingly eat the slugs, as well as being harmful to pets, children and grown-ups.

Although slugs are often not wanted in our gardens they do have a place there and are a vital part of  our wildlifes food chain, it is all about creating a natural and harmonious balance.

Love your environment.

Gill

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Buy British and celebrate British Tomato Week or why not grow your own?

This week it is British Tomato Week 20^th-26^th May which is launched by the British Tomato Growers Association to promote our own locally grown tomatoes.

British grown tomatoes are available in shops now, picked when they are perfect for eating and with only a short distance to travel to the shops they are super fresh, tasty, healthy and environmentally friendly.

Although many British growers produce tomatoes on a large scale they care about the environment, millions of bumblebees are used each year to pollinate plants, insects are used as a natural pest control and millions of gallons of water are stored from glasshouse roofs for irrigation.

Tomatoes are delicious fresh or cooked, they are very healthy containing Vitamins A, C and E, and Potassium and Calcium, they are low in calories and contain virtually no fat or cholesterol.

Store your Tomatoes at room temperature, keeping them in the fridge impairs their flavour.

Did you know?

1. Tomatoes are fruits not vegetables.
2. In Britain we each eat on average two tomatoes every week. 
3. Tomatoes originate from the Andes in South America, where they grow wild. They were first cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 AD. 
4. Tomato Seeds have been grown in space.
5. The largest UK tomato glasshouse covers 26.5 acres, but is currently being extended to 44.5 acres, or 18 hectares. That’s the size of 25 international football pitches. 

For more information, recipes, and facts have a look at the British Tomato Growers website and the Kid’s Tomato Zone for fun activities.

So support our growers by buying British and local Tomatoes or why not have a go at growing your own it is a lot easier than you think and now is the perfect time to plant them, click here for a Guide to Growing your own Tomatoes.

Gill

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Enjoy your Bank Holiday in the garden, or the kitchen

It’s Bank Holiday weekend, giving me an extra day to get busy in the garden, go out for a walk or if the weather is not great I usually find myself in the kitchen baking. The walk is planned for tomorrow, I was in the garden yesterday and so today with a light drizzle falling I have dug out a recipe.

I usually have a jar of honey in the cupboard and honey and lemon is such a lovely combination – we can take these on our walk tomorrow.

Honey and Lemon Fairy Cakes

Ingredients

• 150g Butter/Margarine
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 150g Self-Raising Flour
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 50g Clear Runny Honey
• Finely grated zest of a Lemon
• 3 tbsp Lemon Juice

For the icing

• 100g Icing Sugar
• 4 tsp Lemon Juice or Water
• Sprinkles, Small Sweets or Sugar Flowers to decorate.

How to make your cakes

1. Line a bun tray with 12 paper bun cases.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas mark 5.
3. Mix together the Butter/Margarine, Sugar and Honey in a bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Beat the eggs and add gradually, mixing well.
5. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
6. Sift the flour and add gradually, mixing well until light and fluffy.
7. Divide the mixture between the 12 bun cases.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing

1. Place the icing sugar in a bowl, add the Lemon Juice/Water gradually and mix until it is smooth and runny.
2. Spread or drizzle the icing on the fairy cakes, add your decorations whilst wet then leave to set.

If the weather is fine there are lots of things to do in the garden click here for some ideas.

Have a lovely weekend

Gill

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Why not grow your own Strawberries this year?

This year I decided to treat myself to some new Strawberry plants, the ones on my allotment are over 3 years old and their stems have become old, woody and they will now produce less fruits, it is recommended that you replace your Strawberry plants after 3 years each time replanting in a new position or new compost if they are grown in containers.

Strawberry plants are available now in garden centres, supermarkets, on the high street and via mail order. There are so many different varieties to choose from, cropping at different times in various shapes and sizes but all of them equally delicious, why not plant a few different varieties to give a continuous crop over the Summer months and into Autumn.

Bare root runners

Yesterday a white padded envelope came through the front door, it was from one of the large seed companies, inside there were growing instructions and a small white bag containing my new Strawberry runners they didn’t look very inspiring but with a little care and attention they should produce some delicious Strawberries this Summer.

Strawberry Table

The variety I chose is ‘Buddy’ it is new this year and is ‘ever bearing’ or ‘perpetual’ which means that it will produce Strawberries over a long growing period from Spring into Autumn. After their arrival I put my bare root runners in water straightaway and then planted them individually in pots in the greenhouse in good compost to become established before planting outside. Strawberries can be grown practically anywhere – in the ground, raised beds, strawberry tables, pots, hanging baskets, troughs, window boxes and in Strawberry bags/tubs and are ideal for children to grow.

Strawberry Planter Bag

Click here for a full guide to growing your own Strawberries.

Gill

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Growing your own Mushrooms is Fun, Educational and Magic!

This half term holiday I’ve treated myself and Thomas and bought a Brown Button Mushroom Growing Kit.

Brown Button Mushroom Growing Kit

 Every term Thomas has a school project to do at home and next term’s is titled ‘Growing Food’, so I thought we would get organised and get started on it early by growing our own Mushrooms and taking photographs to show the different stages of growth, as well as having some delicious mushrooms to eat in a few weeks.

Each kit contains everything you will need:

• A black plastic bag which you use to line the box
• A clear bag containing the ‘Mushroom Compost’.
• A black bag containing the ‘Casing Layer’.

1. Empty the mushroom compost in the bottom of your lined box and lightly firm. Spread over the ‘Casing Layer’ (which has been moistened with half a litre of water) and lightly mix the two layers together leaving the surface rough.
2. Rest the lid on top of the box at an angle and put in a warm place for about a week and a white fluffy mycelium should appear on the surface.
3. Remove the lid and place in a cooler dark location, use a mist spray to keep the surface damp.
4. Mushroom should begin to appear after about a week, pick them as small or as large as you like.

Growing Mushrooms from a kit couldn’t be easier and is a fun and fascinating thing to do, especially with children.

These Mushroom Kits are available now (while stocks last) for only £3.99 with any other purchase from The Recycleworks website.

Gill

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Give your birds a new home for Valentines Day

Open Birch Log Nest Box

Birds come in all shapes, sizes and colours and each one is as particular about where they live as we are. Every bird finds or builds a nest that is as unique as they are, but sometimes it is not always that simple, due to redevelopment and intensive farming many birds are losing their natural habits, making it harder for them to breed and leading to a decline in many species.

Robin & Wren Nest Box

To mark National Nest Box Week 14^th – 21^st February 2013 the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) are inviting individuals, families, schools, and community groups to put up Nest Boxes in their gardens or in their local area and provide a home for our birds.

Pembroke Nest Box

If you haven’t got a Nest Box in your garden now is the ideal time to put one up although you can put up a nest box at any time of the year.

Open Fronted Ceramic Teapot Bird Nester

Nest boxes come in all shapes, sizes and colours too to cater for the needs of different birds, they can be bought ready built or why not build your own with a ‘Build your own Nest Box Kit’ this is a lovely thing to do with children and a great half term activity, Nest Boxes also make an unusual and wildlife friendly gift for any occasion so why not treat the birds in your garden this Valentines Day and show them that you care.

Build Your Own Nest Box Kit

Why not put up a House Martin Nest Box ready for the arrival of these delightful Summer Visitors.

House Martin Nest Box

Gill

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Grow Spring bulbs to cheer your soul

You may recall a blog that I posted in September 2012 ‘Plant Hyacinth bulbs for a stunning display and wonderful fragrance at Christmas’ with growing instructions for planting indoor prepared Hyacinths.

Newly planted bulbs in September 2012

To follow up this blog I thought I would show you how mine went on.

On the cool windowsill in January 2013

Although they did not quite meet the christmas deadline I was able to place them on the living room windowsill in early January, where they are fully appreciated and will benefit from the cool temperatures by the window which will extend their flowering period. All 3 bulbs were grown in a different container and were all successful, each producing a beautiful flower stem and wonderful fragrance.

Growing indoor bulbs is a great thing to do especially with children, the size of the bulbs make them easy to handle and they’re pretty undestructable - they just want to grow.

Indoor Minnow Narcissi Bulb Pot

Why not grow them in a clear container, children will be able to see their roots forming and growing.

The Crocus Glass Cube

The Tete a Tete Glass Cube

Indoor bulb kits make a unusual and attractive gift, it is still not too late to plant indoor bulbs, why not plant some now, they would make a lovely gift for Mother’s Day on Sunday, 10th March.

Gill

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Gardening on a Budget?

We have got just the thing…

hot out of our warehouse this Spring is our new range of

Thrifty Raised Beds

At the Recycleworks we have been thinking about how to Grow your Own vegetables and fruit as easily and economically as possible whilst still getting the maximum yield from a wide range of crops, so we have developed a range of budget Raised Beds which will appeal to everyone:

• Families – the family budget is being pinched, now is the time to Grow your Own and reap the benefits
• The first time gardener – perfect starter beds and entry into Grow Your Own
• The accomplished gardener – a great product to extend your growing area
• Schools – affordable and well within the budget
• Community Groups – great for getting people involved in gardening, socialising and working together.

The beds are available in 3 sizes:

1. The Thrifty Classic – 80cm x 80cm
2. The Thrifty Long – 80cm x 105cm
3. The Thrifty Big Square – 105cm x 105cm

with a choice of three heights for each size: 14cm, 28cm, and 42cm and a choice of two colours : Chestnut or Green.

Assembly instructions are supplied with each Raised Bed.

To help you grow the maximum yield and to remove the guesswork if you are new to Grow Your Own each raised bed also comes with a growing/planting guide including ideas and tips on suggested crops, planting, positioning, watering and feeding.

To warm up the soil before planting why not add a Compost Duvet or a Raised Bed Watering Kit to make watering easier and more economical in the long summer months.

Prices start from £15.55 making them very affordable to everyone.

You will surprised at how much you can grow in such a small space – you can’t beat the taste, texture and smell of freshly picked produce.

Gill

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Take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey

This weekend Saturday 26^th and Sunday 27^th January is the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch it is the world’s largest wildlife survey, and is free and open to everyone to join in – families, individuals and schools.

To take part all you need to do is to watch the birds in your garden for one hour and record the highest number of birds of each species that you see at any one time, don’t count the total that you see during the hour as you may be including the same birds that have visited more than once, only include birds that actually land in your garden not the ones that fly over.

Jupiter Peanut Feeder

Get prepared now by putting out lots of different types of bird food to encourage as many birds as you can, the more choice you provide the more species you may attract, don’t forget to put out some fresh water too.

Giant Fat Ball and Feeder

Have a look at the RSPB’s website for lots more information and also an identification chart for the birds that you may see in your garden, with the weather being cold you may attract some unusual birds that have come looking for food.

Hanging Square Bird Table

We will be taking part, we usually do a survey at home and one at my parents house, their house backs on to open fields and they have different birds visiting their garden.

Don’t forget to continue putting out bird food after the survey, the birds really do need our help.

Have fun!

Gill

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Look after our feathered friends during the cold weather

Winter is finally here with sub-zero temperatures and a covering of snow in many parts with yet more forecast. The fall in temperatures will come as quite a shock to our wildlife they have endured a relatively mild winter up to now, but we as a nation of wildlife lovers can really help. The birds in our garden are struggling to find any food as their natural food sources are depleted or frozen in the ground, fresh unfrozen water too will be hard to find, High Calorie/Energy foods with a High Fat Content are the most beneficial to put out for the birds :

Seed Mixes are prepared using top quality high calorie ingredients and have been developed to appeal to, and benefit a wide variety of bird species all year round and include High Energy Bird Mix, Bird Feeder Seed, Table Seed Mix, Gourmet Robin Food as well as Nyjer Seed and Sunflower Heart Seeds.

Table Seed Mix

High Fat content Bird Foods are also high in calories and include Peanut Cakes, Fat Balls, Fat filled Coconuts, Peanut Cake Bells and Suet Pellets with Insects and are excellent winter food.

High calorie Peanut Cakes

Live Mealworms are a natural food and relished by Robins, Blue Tits and other insect eating birds and should be provided when fresh.

Live Mealworms are loved by Blue Tits

Clean water is important for the birds both for drinking and also bathing this is essential to keep their feathers in good condition. To prevent the water from freezing add a lightweight ball which will move in the breeze or pour on hot water to melt the ice.

Ceramic Hanging Bird Bath / Water Dish

Have a look at our range of Bird Food, Bird Feeders, Bird Tables, Bird Baths and treat the birds in your garden.

Gill

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